In the last year since we bought our house, I've twice found myself using pliers to grip in reverse.

Last year, our dishwasher broke. And while I've never been handy, I decided I'd rather figure out how to fix it if I could. Sure enough, I was able to figure out that the plastic sprayer retainer nut had snapped. I grabbed a new one ($5), but then realized that the snapped-off bit was inside another part and couldn't be removed without the snapped-off bit that was essentially a grip (). After trying needle-nose pliers and considering (and rejecting) an exacto blade (too much risk of cutting too much), I used a pair of regular pliers, stuck it in the middle, and opened it as wide as possible. With it braced against the inner part of the ring, I was able to turn the pliers and turn the ring itself, slowly but surely getting it out.

Last night, my wife tripped and knocked over a lamp, and the led bulb broke from its base, leaving the base in the socket (). And once again, only pliers from the inside (after unplugging the lamp, of course) allowed me to remove the base and make the lamp usable again.

Just a reminder that there are multiple ways to use tools, and that (within reason and safety) you should see about fixing things yourself before hiring outsiders or purchasing new items.